Closure operator



July 21, 1931. w. 5. SMITH CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed Nov. 5, 1930 Inventor 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jib/nia in? J: aha-2a By A llomey JuEyZl, 1931. w. 5. SMITH 1,815,123

CLOSURE OPERATOR I 'Filed Nov. 5, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 -7llllllllllllllilllllllllllllqllllll Z j a a In ventor fi'zzfa'eZd 6: JFiza'Z/a A llomey July 21, 1931. w. 8. SMITH CLOSURE OPERATOR Filed Nov. 5, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 v I L In veniur K512192 22? L: waif/z, M

' A llorney July 21,1931.

W. 8. SMITH CLOSURE OPERATOR 4 Sh eets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 5, 1930 Q By A liomey Patented July 21, 1931,

UNITED STATES wmrrnnn sco'rr smrn,

or ossmmc, nnw' YORK cnosnnn orm'roa Application filed November This invention relates to an improved closure operating device, which is especially, but not necessarily, designed for mechanically opening and closing hingedly mounted swingable garage doors.

mobile, wherein said platforms are so located and arranged as to open and'close the doors through the medium of appropriate operating connections.

The specific struct tive arrangement and organization will be come more readily apparent from the following description and drawings.

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional plan view showing the general assembly developed in accordance with the present inventive conception. f

Fig. 2 is a vertical section observing the structure from the inside of the garage.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the operating mechanism between the adja-' cent cooperatin ends of the tiltable platform, the door, eing swung open.

F ig, 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section showing the cooperating or meeting ends of the depressible platform.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 isa view like Fig. 6, showing the retaining latch and keeper. i

In the drawings,the garage is generally designated by the numeral 9, and includes'a door frame having vertical end posts 10 with which the doors 11 are hin dly connected as at 12. This is a doublev oor arrangement, and individual means is obviously provided for actuating each door. The means is the same, however, in both instances, and a description of one will suffice for both.

'As shown in Fig. 3, there are two latforms, namely an outer platform 13, disposed on the extcrior of the garage, and an inner ural details and the rela- 5,1930. Serial No. 493,656. 1

platform 14. The oilter platform is somewhat longer than the inner one and both platforms are normally raised and disposed in spaced relation about the floor or runway 15'.

If desired a wear plate 16 may be embedded 135 in the runway to accommodate the slidable, free end portion of the platform. These platforms are vehicle actuated, that is, they are depressed through the medium of the Weight of the vehicle as it moves thereon. It is obvious that with this arrangement, and through the medium of the operating mechanisms between their: respective platforms and door, the doors will be swung to open and closed position as the platforms are depressed, whether the caris entering the garage or leaving the. garage.

To hold the doors closed, I pipvide a keeper plate 17 on the inner platform and cooperating within spring-pressed 18 on a suitable carrier brac et, the spring being denoted by the numeral 20. It will be observed that the spaced adjacent end of this platform is provided with angle irons 21 and Y 22 respectively and these are oper'atively connected together by suitable connecting pins 23 as represented in Fig. 6. I

. To understand the operating connection-between-the platforms 'and respective doors, I invite attention to Figs. 4and5. Here the 86 reference character 24 designates an attach" ing bracket including a suitable plate 25 secured to theadjacent frame or post 10. This has outstanding webs 26 and is'cast as at 27 to provide the reduced-extension or journal 28. The numeral\ 29 designates a hinge mounted on the hinged end ofthe door. Between this hinge and the bracket is an operatingtoggle 30 including links 31 and 32.- These arepivotally connected together and 99 also. pivotally attached to the journal 28 and binge 2;) as shown in Fig. 5.. 9

There is ascrew threaded coupling 33 pass ing pivotally to the link 32.- A similar cou- H pling34 is attached to the platform 14 as shown in Fig. .4.- through the medium of an appropriate coupling bracket 35. Arod 36 constitutes the operating connection between these parts 33 and 34 and the toggle.

taining latch The numeral 37 designates a coil return 153 spring secured by a hooked bolt 38 to the web 26 of the attaching bracket. The coiled spring is secured at its lower end to a turnbuckle 39, the lower element 40 of which is 5 formed with an eye embracing the aforesaid jecting outwardly beyond the hinged garage v door, and the platform 14 being somewhat shorter and confined within theinterior of the garage.

Assuming that the car is inside of the garage, and it is desired to back out, it is obvious that as the back wheels ride onto the plat-- form14, both of the platforms are simultaneously depressed. This allows the latch 18 to become released from the keeper 17'. It

also brings both of the toggle structures into play and serves to thrust both of the garage doors open.

tions 42 come into play for again lifting or elevating the platform and restoring the mechanical mechanism to its original state, thus closing both of the doors. Hence, it is possible to enter or leave the garage without alighting from the car to manually unlatch and open the doors as is customary.

The gist of the invention, it will under? stood, is in the provision of hingedly mount:

ed garage doors, haying their loweredges ar-.

ranged in spaced relation above the meeting 1 ends of the vehicle operated platform,so as to provide for appropriate clearance and as well as systematic and releasing and engaging of the latch 18. Then too, novelty is predi cate d upon the-duplicate arrangement of operating mechanisms or devices at opposite sides of the door frames for producing the desired individual openingand closing of the doors in unison.

The operating connections are each of du- 51. plex design, there being an attaching bracket,

and a toggle, and a positive or direct operating connection between one of the platforms and one of the links of the toggle. Then too, there isthe distinguishable'spring embodied operating connection, which constitutes retaining means for closing the doors automatr cally, at a predetermined time.

The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail merely for the purpose of exemplification As the car moves outwardly beyond the garage doors, and leaves the platform 13, the spring return connecsince in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description. I

It is to be understood that by describing in detail herein any particular form, structure ing pivotally connected to the bracket, :1 pair of detractable platforms located beneath the lower edge of saidydgmr and one located within the building and the other exteriorly thereof. pin connections between the adjacent edges of the platforms whereby said platforms are moved in unison, a spring connected with the bracket, means for connecting the other end of the spring to the pin, and a link connection between the inner platform and the inner link of the pair of links.

2. In combination with a building having a door frame and 'a door for closing the opening formed by said frame, a bracket connected to one side of the frame, a hinge member on the door, toggle links connecting the hinge to the bracket, said links being pivotally connected .with the hinge and with the bracket, a pair of platforms one located within the building and the other exterior there- 'of, means for depressing one of the platforms when the other is depressed, a spring, means .for connecting one end of the spring to the bracket, means for connecting the other end of the spring to a platform, and a link connection between the inner platform and one of the links of the toggle links.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WINFIELD SCOTT SMITH. 

